Voice

Voice describes the noticeable presence of the human touch in a game. It might be apparent in alongside dialogue, music, its look, numina, ceremony or many other ways, but a game with a voice immediately stands out from its competition.

Voice is a quality only possessed by some games, usually from studios who have the courage to try and create something. A game with a voice is more than just a product, a service, a system or even a fantasy. The art brain can sense that it has something about it even if the play brain can’t quite pin down what that something is.

Games with a voice are often forgiven their design mistakes much more readily than other games because they connect. You might even say they have a soul.